The Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum belongs to the Polo Museale della Toscana

The Archaeological Museum of Siena was established in
the 1920’s and 1930’s thanks to the contribution of the
well known archaeologist Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli
who, at the time, was just beginning his career. During
this time Siena had two antiquities collections. One was
held in the City Library where from the mid eighteenth
century it consisted primarily of coins, small bronzes
and seals and was enriched during the nineteenth
century by donations and material discovered within
the city during the construction of Campansi Road. The
second was simultaneously housed by the ‘Accademia
dei Fisiocritici’, which already included a numismatic
museum and had conserved some archaeological
finds. From the end of the nineteenth century it also
held the Mieli collection. This collection was donated
to the Municipality of Siena in 1882 and included
material gathered from family properties around
Pienza. Another important collection incorporated into
the museum was the Bargagli collection from Sarteano,
formed between 1875 and the beginning of the 1900’s.
It was donated to the State in 1918 and later transferred
to Siena. In 1951-52 two other important collections
also incorporated into the museum were those of
Chigi Zondadari and Bonci Casuccini. The first was
formed between the last quarter of the 1800’s and the
beginning of the 1900’s by the Marquis Bonaventura
Chigi Zondadari. It included material from the local area
and other objects, mostly Roman, which were acquired
on the antiquities market. At the end of the 1800’s it
was considered to be one of the most important Italian
private collections. The Bonci Casuccini collection
was put together at the beginning of the 1900’s by
Emilio Bonci Casuccini, consisting primarily of material
discovered within the area of Chiusi and was kept at
the Marcianella Villa. It was donated to the State in
1952 and subsequently transferred to Siena. Over the
years the museum was greatly enriched, especially
by funerary artefacts discovered during excavations
conducted around Siena. Currently, the museum is
divided into two sections: the topographical section
which illustrates important aspects of local archaeology
with particular emphasis on the discoveries within the
city and the surrounding areas of Chianti, upper Val
d’Elsa, and the Antiquarium which holds the various
collections mentioned above.
In 1993 the museum was transferred from its historical
seat in via della Sapienza to Santa Maria della Scala, and
in 2001 it was established within the ‘tunnels’ facing
internal road of the ancient hospital.